Chapter 79

In the garden, Susan walked to a quiet place, feeling somewhat dispirited. Today's events made her realize that her previous thoughts were indeed a mistake.

All along, she had believed that Reed would be her lifelong partner, but now she realized how naive and ridiculous her thoughts had been.

A lifelong partner isn't determined by a little bit of silly affection; it requires the test of time to truly confirm. And for Reed, he hadn't even passed the initial test.

This realization disappointed Susan, not only for Reed but also for herself.

Just as she was feeling disheartened about her choice, Zhou Yi had already walked behind her and coughed loudly.

"Excuse me, Miss Susan. Are you okay?"

Susan turned her head and saw Zhou Yi smiling at her. Her mood wasn't particularly pleasant, so her words weren't very kind either.

"Sir, if you had any discernment, you wouldn't ask such a question."

"Of course, I can see that, but I need to confirm it," Zhou Yi said with an apologetic smile. "I need to confirm whether Miss Susan needs a friend to comfort her."

"Sorry, sir. I think we don't even know each other's names, so how can we be the friends you mentioned?"

"I think if knowing each other's names is necessary to be friends, then I'm halfway there with all the important people in the world," Zhou Yi joked, following Susan's topic. His years of experience in socializing with women helped him always have his own way of getting closer to them.

Listening to Zhou Yi's words, although Susan was still somewhat down, her mood was much better than at first. Perhaps she felt her initial behavior was unbecoming of a lady, so she began to apologize for her previous actions.

"Sorry, sir. I was a bit out of line earlier. Thank you for your concern. I'm Susan. Storm! May I ask who you are?"

"Just call me Zhou Yi!" Zhou Yi introduced himself with a smile. "I'm a businessman. I was just discussing some business matters with two gentlemen. I didn't expect to meet a lady like Miss Susan. So I couldn't help but come out."

"Couldn't help but come out?" Hearing Zhou Yi's somewhat strange explanation, Susan tilted her head, not quite understanding.

"Yes! You can think of me as someone who can't bear to see a beautiful lady sad. Although I don't know what I can do, I still hope I can help a beautiful lady lift her spirits."

"Thank you, you're a true gentleman." Susan Storm finally smiled. "You don't say this to every girl, do you?"

"Although I wish I had such a broad heart, unfortunately, it's beyond my capabilities. So, I only do this for a select few."

"Oh! It seems I've become one of the select few. Then, sir, your previous companion must also be one of the select few. Aren't you worried she might be unhappy because you came to find me?"

Although Susan was grateful for Zhou Yi's intentions, it didn't mean she would easily form a relationship with a stranger, especially one who seemed to have ulterior motives.

Zhou Yi shrugged naturally.

"Although to me, Charis is the most important person in the world, I believe as a sister, she should bless her brother's pursuit of happiness and beauty!"

"What? That lady is your sister?" Susan, who had made a mistake, immediately looked embarrassed. Zhou Yi, however, smiled understandingly.

"To be precise, Charis is my half-sister. I've watched her grow up. In a sense, she is the most special of the select few to me."

"Is that so? You and your sister have a great relationship. I have a brother too, but he's not as well-mannered as your sister. Sometimes I really doubt if I'm a good sister, to let my brother turn out this way!"

Perhaps because of the earlier misunderstanding or because of their somewhat similar backgrounds, Susan began to confide in Zhou Yi. This was good news for Zhou Yi.

So he naturally used this topic to get closer to her.

"I have the same troubles, Miss Susan. Please forgive me, but I think calling you Susan would be more appropriate. Is that okay?"

"Of course, sir. I also hope to get rid of unnecessary formalities. After all, I'm not your business partner." Susan nodded understandingly. "If it's okay, I'll call you by your name too. Zhou Yi, is that the correct pronunciation in Chinese?"

"Of course, I didn't expect you to know about Chinese culture. My friends have struggled to pronounce my name correctly." Zhou Yi expressed his admiration for Susan with surprise, as women always need to be praised.

"You might not know, but Charis is just pretending. Her usual self can drive me to the brink of insanity."

"Is that so? I can't tell." Susan showed some doubt. After all, what Zhou Yi said was completely different from what she had seen. Charis's noble and pure appearance even made her envious.

"Although I still don't understand how much makeup can change a woman, Charis has truly pushed the limits of my understanding. You won't believe it, but she just turned sixteen not long ago!" Zhou Yi's sincere words left Susan no choice but to believe him. And part of what he said quickly caught her attention.

"Can you tell me about the makeup artist who did her makeup?"

"Of course. If you need it, I can introduce you to my mother and her team. I'm sure she would love to meet a beautiful girl like you." Zhou Yi smiled and handed her a postcard of Zhou Lan, who always kept such things on him, and now they came in handy.

"Wow, you're actually Mrs. Zhou Lan's son. I've admired her for a long time. Her creativity is unparalleled. It's a pity that most of her works are custom-made. I've tried to make an appointment, but I've never had the chance."

"Maybe I can introduce you to her. I believe once you get to know each other, my mother won't refuse you."

The two talked more and more, and their relationship grew closer. Time flew by, and before they knew it, Charis appeared beside Zhou Yi.

"Dear brother, although I don't want to interrupt your fun, the party has started, and Mr. Alfred seems to need you." Charis's expression wasn't very good, especially when she saw Susan and Zhou Yi chatting happily.

"Alright, Charis." Zhou Yi shrugged and smiled apologetically at Susan. "It seems the host needs some help from a good person. I'll take my leave. If you need anything, feel free to contact me."

"Of course!" Susan showed the two business cards in her hand, one from Zhou Yi and one from Zhou Lan. "We're friends now, right? And I need your help to introduce me to key people!"

"Great, that's perfect!" Zhou Yi smiled brightly, took Charis's hand, and turned to walk towards the hall. As a guest, he didn't want to put on airs with the host.

Watching Zhou Yi leave, Susan smiled. To her, Zhou Yi was indeed a nice person, but after what she had just been through, she didn't want to start anything new right now.

Thinking about this, she fell into deep thought again, gazing at the garden in the night. The cold air made her pull her dress tighter, but neither her dress nor the magical shawl could keep her warm in the cold night.

A cold wind blew, making her shiver. At that moment, a coat with the scent of sunshine was draped over her shoulders.

"Sorry, I forgot it's not the right weather to be out. It would be a shame for a beauty like you to catch a cold. So, don't thank me. After all, you called me a gentleman!"

Zhou Yi, who had returned, gently draped his coat over her, teased her a bit, and then left again. This time, Susan watched him and his somewhat angry sister walk into the hall and didn't turn back.

She pulled the coat tighter, and the thick suit jacket brought her a different kind of warmth. It also had a very pleasant smell, like the sun.

Feeling this strange warmth, Susan realized for the first time that if she changed her perspective, maybe everything that happened wasn't such a bad thing. Thinking about this, she couldn't help but smile with relief. At that moment, the disappointment caused by Reed was gone, and she had moved on.

Because everything had a new beginning.

Meanwhile, Zhou Yi didn't have Susan's good mood, as he faced a not-so-pleasant matter.

"Mr. Alfred, can I confirm this? You want me to invest 100 million in your Antarctic research lab, and in exchange, you plan to offer some core secrets of the Umbrella Corporation. Is that correct?"

Zhou Yi, led by the Ashford family's butler, was now in Alfred's private study. Besides him, only the current head of the Ashford family was there.

"You heard correctly, just as you said," Alfred said with a confident smile. "I can assure you that the secrets I mentioned are far more valuable than your investment. You won't lose out on this deal."

"However, Mr. Alfred, you know that what you're proposing is illegal. And why do you think I will definitely agree to this deal?"

"Simple, Mr. Zhou Yi. Because it's something you've been looking for, and it's also the core of the vampires' research."

Hearing this, Zhou Yi narrowed his eyes.

"Mr. Alfred, I don't know what you're talking about."

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